Here are some short video reflections on my DipTESOL experience. These are meant for candidates on the new DipTESOL course run through DublinTEFL. I’ve explained more in this intro vid… Excuse the tiredness. And the lockdown hair! Barbers are shut… Read More ›

teacher development
Teacher development and coursebooks
Prompted by a tweet from @michaelegriffin, here are some thoughts on how coursebooks/published materials/in-house resources can aid teacher development. Michael asked this: I shared some examples of how I provide development tips in published resources, such as these two from… Read More ›
Dip Tips: Phonology and you
I sometimes hear from DipTESOL trainees who are finding it hard to get to grips with phonology. Common problems include:
30 tips for developing teachers
Some teachers have clear direction when it comes to development. Others, like me, have always been a little bit lost. I found that once I finished my initial teacher training there wasn’t much support or guidance when it came to… Read More ›
Tips for managing young learners
We set up a ‘Quality Circle’ here at the British Council Bangkok last term. Ours is basically like a reflective practice group set up for teachers, by teachers. We meet twice a term. Every 5 weeks we choose a topic… Read More ›
10 useful websites for ELT
A self-development task during my diploma last year asked me to list all the websites I found useful in my ELT practice. The document I created spanned about 6 pages – it could easily have been longer. I’m sure there’s… Read More ›
5 great tips for new teachers
Here’s a fantastic guest post from Michael Walker, who currently teaches at a university in South Korea. He offers some great tips for teachers who are just starting out. Thanks Michael! Smile There is an old piece of teaching advice… Read More ›
Negative attitudes to professional development
In the 6 years I’ve been teaching I’ve encountered a lot of negative attitudes towards professional development. Sure, at times I’ve been negative or cynical too – no-one’s perfect! It’s just that over the last few years I’ve really come… Read More ›
Great formative assessment tools
In the first ever guest post on ELT Planning, Kirsten Anne shares her teaching experiences and offers two great ideas for formative assessment. This post has been a long time coming. I’ve been promising to write something for ELT Planning for a… Read More ›
15 ways I’ve developed as a teacher this year
I’ve had a really busy year. I’ve taught in four different countries since January. They’ve included a quick winter camp in Spain (which was great fun), a short stint back in England, an amazing summer in Vietnam and now Christmas… Read More ›